US IT specialist willing to share classified info with foreigners arrested: DOJ

A government employee in Virginia was taken into custody after attempting to share classified information with a foreign government agent, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday.

Nathan Laatsch, a 28-year-old IT specialist working for the Defense Intelligence Agency since 2019, was arrested after the FBI received a tip in March 2025 about someone willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government.

Laatsch, a civilian employee in the DIA’s Insider Threat Division, held a top-secret security clearance. An email sent to the FBI indicated that the individual, later identified as Laatsch, did not align with the values of the Trump administration and was willing to share classified information accessible to him, including completed intelligence products and other classified documentation.

The FBI initiated an investigation and discovered that Laatsch had been communicating with an undercover FBI agent posing as a foreign government official. Laatsch confirmed his readiness to share classified information, which he transcribed onto a notepad at his desk. He allegedly removed the information from his workspace multiple times over a three-day period in preparation for sharing it.

As part of a coordinated operation, the FBI set up a location in a northern Virginia park where Laatsch was supposed to deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve. He was observed by FBI agents depositing an item at the designated location around May 1. The thumb drive retrieved from the site contained a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents marked as Secret or Top Secret.

After learning that the thumb drive had been retrieved, Laatsch allegedly sought something in exchange for providing the information. He expressed interest in citizenship for the foreign country, as he did not anticipate improvements in America in the long term. He also mentioned being open to other forms of compensation but did not require material compensation.

Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch transcribed more information and concealed it in his clothing to remove it from the building. On Thursday, he arrived at a predetermined location to deliver the information to the foreign country but was arrested by the FBI upon handing over the documents.

Laatsch’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia. The incident underscores the importance of safeguarding classified information and the consequences of attempting to share sensitive data with foreign entities.